Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-01-14
Sarm Copies.
HINTS FOR WINTER.
From the Country Gentleman.

ments:
|. Lay out the farm into fields to adj
nit regular rotation, entering every
one without passing through other fields.
=. Arrange a clear and systematic plan
of the seasons work. ,. Bring the soil
into good condition by draining and
with manures. 4. Provide sufficient
buildings for protecting animals and
sheltering crops. 3. Raise the best ami
mails only, use the best implements, and
plant the best seed for crops.
Hon. TO Lengthen the .Season.-Farmers
who have to wait in spring two or three
weeks for the land to become dry enough
to pillow and harrow may shorten this
long period to two or three days by
draining. 1t is good time now to pro-
vide tile, and make arrangements for
such ditching as can be performed in
spring. A fine mellow soil in autumn,
instead of wet or water-soaked one, will
be less affected with frost, and the season
will thus be longer at both ends.
TO make Cutie 1hrire in Uinter.-Give
them shelter, provide warm and clean
quarters, give them enough feed, but
never over-feed them, give food with reg
ularity, and prevent their fretting for
long-eXpected supply, furnish constantly
good pure water to drink and avoid all
bad air and bad odors. 1t is better to
give fodder often and regularly, to pre-
vent their breath condensing on long-fed
messes.
Selecting Ner H0mes.-Those who are
homes, should keep before their minds
the following requisites, named nearly i'll
order of their importance: Healthful-
ness, good neighborhood, soil and elm
ate, convenience of access to church and
market, and with good scenery and
views.
Work lNop.-A good workshop, with
the cheaper and more simple tools, is al
ways worth more than its cost to the
farmer who has sons. 1t should be pro-
vided with a small stove for cold and
stormy days, and be sufficiently lighted
with windows. 1t may be furnished
with workbench. vice, shaving-horse,
and small foot-lathe. The tools may be
saws, planes, augers, drawing-knife and
hammer. Here tools may be repaired on
stormy days, or old ones mended. or oil
ed and painted, harness oiled, boots
BACKED. boxes made for apples and pota-
toes, each holding a bushel, and number
less other useful operations performed.
For Outdoor Work One of the best
things which can be done is to top-dress
the ground about bearing fruit trees, and
especially in apple orchards. The liquid
portions will be washed down among the
roots, growth stimulated, and good crops
produced. Spread the manure over the
whole ground, remembering that the
roots extend each way further than the
height of the tree. Neglected, unman-
ured orchards often bear poor and scrub
by crops, while those we'll cared for are
producing abundantly,
Outdoor Repuirs.-On mild DAYS eX-
|
With a basket of nails and hammer Sc
cure every loose board and replace every
fallen one. Bore hole in gate-posts and
plug in quantity of grease, which will be
always at hand for greasing hinges and
latches as they need it. Lay up loose
stones in stone walls.
Fpeding Cdhle.-When this work is
done outdoors or under open sheds, pro-
vide good feeding-boXes or racks, where
all will be saved, and not throw the hay
on the ground for the animals to tread
under foot In connection with this mat
ter, one fact suggests the value of feed
ing in sheds or stalls, namely, that shell
ter is cheaper than fodder, and that for
cattle exposed to cutting winds it re-
quires at least One-third more food to
keep up the same condition in flesh as I'M
der comfortable protection.
There are few small matters in rural
economy which are well to understand
and act upon in winter namely:
For Frozen Water IN Pumps.-Run a
SIllitll ltiiu luDt III lar tHOuSIl 10 rest Oh
the ice, and pour hot water through it by
the aid of IA funnel at the top. The hot
water, by its weight, runs at once on the
ice, melts it rapidly, the tube, by its
weight, settling as fast as the ice melts,
and pouring the hot stream right on it..
If the hot water is poured into the pump
without the tube, it will not reach the
ice, but remain at the top, being lighter
than the cold water below nearest the
ice.
Door Latches.-Will always work with
perfect freedom if the housekeeper or
owner will pass around regularly once a
week and apply small drop of oil to the
face of each.
Rdts.-Which hide in inaccessible crew
ices may be easily routed, by placing a
dish of manganese and muriatic acid